A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and apparatuses concerning hinges used for vehicle covers, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses concerning a hinge system for a tonneau cover and the like.
B. Description of the Related Art
Cover members for use in covering the beds or boxes of pick-up trucks and other vehicles are well known in the art. One type of such cover members is known as a tonneau cover. Tonneau covers generally are formed of a rigid (non-flexible) material such as fiberglass, for example, and are mounted to the vehicle bed with one or more hinges. The hinges permit the tonneau cover to be placed in an open position, where access to the vehicle bed is permitted, and a closed position, where the tonneau cover covers the vehicle bed and thus access to the vehicle bed is not permitted.
Several types of hinges are known to be used with tonneau covers including, continuous “piano style” hinges, living hinges, compound hinges and scissor hinges. While many of the known hinge systems work well for their intended purpose, there are problems common to all including: sealing problems between the tonneau cover and the surface of the vehicle upon which the tonneau cover rests; alignment problems between the tonneau cover and the vehicle; and, the relatively large force necessary to raise the tonneau cover into the open position.
This invention greatly minimizes these problems by providing a hinge system for tonneau covers and the like, where the force required to open the tonneau cover is minimized, a proper seal between the toneau cover and the vehicle is maintained, and stability and alignment of the tonneau cover is maximized.